What did you think of the trailer of Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups? Why is there negative talk about it in the trade?

– The trailer is terrific. There are people in the trade who feel that the trailer does not serve the purpose as one can’t understand the story. Our point is that the trailer need not always reveal the story; sometimes, it is more than enough if it succeeds in creating intrigue. And the trailer of TOXIC: A FAIRY TALE FOR GROWN-UPS has done that — it has created so much intrigue that it has served its purpose. Frankly, the job of a film trailer is to get the public interested in watching the film on the opening day or in the opening weekend! The trailer of TOXIC: A FAIRY TALE FOR GROWN-UPS has absolutely and completely done that. You can be sure that the film will open to bumper houses on 26th August.   

Why do you think, this week’s Awarapan 2 has taken a better start than Batwara 1947? After all, Batwara 1947 is a bigger film — bigger stars, bigger budget.

– Bigger budgets don’t always ensure bigger openings. Overall, the appeal of AWARAPAN 2 for the youth was greater than that of BATWARA 1947. Since the initial value of a film is mostly decided by how the youngsters perceive a film (because they comprise a good part of the first day’s audience), AWARAPAN 2 took a far better start than BATWARA 1947. Since BATWARA 1947, at the core, is the story of an old lady (character played by Shabana Azmi) who refuses to leave her home in Lahore, it did not catch the fancy of the young public. Of course, if the film is loved by the audience and its word of mouth is positive, collections can pick up. But a flying start for the film was, in any case, a difficult goal to reach.        

Haven’t the producers of Batwara 1947 and Awarapan 2 taken a risk by releasing their films this week? I ask this question because after just two weeks, cinemas are all expected to rush to accommodate Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups in as many cinemas and shows as possible.

– Not after two complete weeks, TOXIC: A FAIRY TALE FOR GROWN-UPS will release after just 12 days — on 26th August (Wednesday). So, in a way, BATWARA 1947 and AWARAPAN 2 will both get a clear playing field for just 12 days, not even for two complete weeks. But that’s how this trade functions. New films release week after week. And so, two weeks (in this case, 12 days) without a major opposition is quite good. 

Rajkumar Santoshi says, he struggled to get a producer to back his script of Batwara 1947 for almost two decades. He is a successful and an accomplished filmmaker. Then, how did it take him so many years to get someone to back Batwara 1947?

– It is not as if he did not get a producer to back him. What he says is that he didn’t get a producer to back his script of BATWARA 1947. All those approached by him had some reservation or the other about the film. Some found the subject not commercial enough, some found the budget too high, some others had reservations about an India-Pakistan subject, still others did not fancy the hero playing a Muslim character who goes away to Pakistan.  

Will Preity Zinta continue to act in films or is her comeback film, Batwara 1947, a one-off case?

– BATWARA 1947 may not be a one-off case for Preity Zinta because after BATWARA 1947, she has another film — Kunal Kemmu’s VIBE — releasing this year itself. Although she would be open to more acting assignments, you can’t, of course, expect that she will sign films left right and centre.     

Like Prahaar – The Ujjwal Nikam Story, is Maddock Films’ Eetha also being postponed?

– Rumours are rife in trade circles that EETHA might also be postponed to avoid a clash with TOXIC: A FAIRY TALE FOR GROWN-UPS.  

What did you think of the trailer of Batwara 1947? Will the public accept Sunny Deol as a Muslim character in a film with an India-Pakistan story? Don’t you think, Rajkumar Santoshi is playing with fire because of the casting?

– The trailer is outstanding! Why will the audience not accept Sunny Deol playing a Muslim character in an India-Pakistan story? He is playing a Muslim hero, not a villain.   

Is it true that Sunny Deol will not be seen in the first part of Namit Malhotra and Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana?

– You must be aware that RAMAYANA will be released in two parts. Sunny Deol plays Hanuman in RAMAYANA and hence he does not have a role in the film’s first part. His entry will mark the end of the first part of the film. Hanuman — and therefore — Sunny Deol will be seen in a full-fledged role in the film’s second part. Incidentally, Sunny’s entry as Hanuman at the end of RAMAYANA PART 1 will be met with an earth-shattering response by the public in the cinema halls.     

What was the first day’s net collection total of Spider-Man: Brand New Day in India if you take into account the original as well as all the dubbed versions?

– An unbelievable Rs. 61 crore!! The total gross collection figure for Day 1 was Rs. 73 crore. This is the biggest ever opening for a Hollywood film in India, that too, on a non-holiday Thursday (which is an odd day for release).  

How has Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey done so well in India when the reports were mixed?

– Reports of all films released are mixed. This has been true since time immemorial. The only difference is that after the advent of social media, negative reports get amplified many times over. If you notice, as far as talking about films and film people is concerned, there is more negativity than positivity on platforms like Twitter and Instagram. That’s because many believe that they can get eyeballs if they criticise a film or a celebrity in the harshest possible language. Coming back to THE ODYSSEY, the question is not about mixed reports; it is about the percentage of people talking negative as compared to those who’ve liked the film.   

Has the trailer launch of Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana been postponed?

– Yes, it has been postponed. The trailer will now be released globally because the deal for the Overseas distribution rights has just been closed with Sony Pictures Entertainment. That’s what Namit Malhotra’s announcement says. If one reads between the lines, it would appear that he has postponed the trailer launch in view of the volatile atmosphere in the country because of student unrest. Anyway, thanks to the Sony deal, RAMAYANA would now become the first Indian film to be released simultaneously the world over extensively — like any big-ticket Hollywood film.   

When will the trailer of Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups be released?

– It will be released in Bangalore on 8th August. The film will hit the screens on 26th August (Wednesday).    

It was felt by the trade that Dhamaal 4 would not succeed at the box-office because it was coming just two weeks after Welcome To The Jungle which belonged to the same genre. Then what was the reason for Dhamaal 4 to have done well?

– The trade goes by fixed perceptions. But films don’t follow any pattern. That’s because there are no rules which are sacrosanct in film business.    

Has Dharma Productions paid MG royalty for acquiring the distribution rights of Namit Malhotra’s Ramayan?

– No, the payment is advance and the rights are for the Hindi version for all India (except South).  

After Jigra, even Alia Bhatt’s Alpha has failed at the box-office. Does that mean that Alia is not cut out for women-centric action films?

– More than that, it means that both the films were not what the audience wanted to watch.    

Is it a wise decision to have released Dhamaal 4 this week, considering the fact that another mad hatter comedy, Welcome To The Jungle, was released only two weeks back?

– It may not be the wisest decision to bring a film of the same genre — that too, a crazy comedy — just two weeks after a film in that genre was released. But with so many films lined up for release, it is not always possible to have a release date which suits the film cent per cent. Releasing DHAMAAL 4 two weeks after WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE is at least better than releasing both the films in the same week! Sometimes, two films of the same genre are pitted against one another in the same week.    

How do you think will Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups open?

– It may take an earth-shattering start.      

Vvan has been postponed to avoid the clash with Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups (dubbed) in the last week of August. You had predicted this in this very column last week. How did you know that this would happen?

– It is not an intelligent move to release three big films in the same week. Since TOXIC was to come with VVAN and EETHA, it was a foregone conclusion that either EETHA or VVAN would be pushed ahead. And, as expected, VVAN has been postponed.    

Why is Alia Bhatt being trolled so much on social media?

– It’s strange, it’s weird, and it’s sad. It doesn’t look real. Some people in the industry say, it is part of a publicity gimmick for ALPHA which has released today.   Rather unbelievable!   

How has Welcome To The Jungle collected so well in the first week in spite of several people hating the film?

– If you recall, we had mentioned in our review that there will be a section of the audience, which will not be able to take very kindly to the film. While talking about the script of the film, we had mentioned: ‘Of course, for those who want logic even in comedies, this drama will simply not work. Also, for viewers who don’t like nonsensical or farcical comedies, there’s absolutely nothing in the story or screenplay.’ Summing up the box-office potential of the film, we had predicted: ‘On the whole, WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE is an enjoyable entertainer and will do well at the ticket windows. It may not appeal to those who don’t like crazy and over-the-top comedies and films about the film industry, but it would find favour with those wanting to laugh out loud.’ Obviously, the number of people who are liking the film is far exceeding the number of people who aren’t liking it.      

Will Eetha and Vvan clash with Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups (dubbed) in the last week of August?

– As of now, yes. But as more and more heat for TOXIC: A FAIRY TALE FOR GROWN-UPS (dubbed) generates, it is possible that the release of one of the two other films might be postponed.   

Looking to the below-the-mark initial of Welcome To The Jungle this week, what do you predict will be the opening of Dhamaal 4 after two weeks?

– In all likelihood, the opening of DHAMAAL 4 on 10th July should be good because not only is it a popular franchise but its trailer has also been liked by the public. By the way, the opening of WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE may not have been good in the morning shows, but collections are picking up as the day is progressing. Of course, not everywhere!

Why have the producers of Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups decided to release the film on 26th August, a Wednesday?

– To take advantage of the Eid-e-Milad and Onam holiday on 26th August. The festive mood is likely to continue on 27th (Thursday). And there’s the Raksha Bandhan holiday on 28th (Friday). So effectively, the film will have a 5-day weekend.      

Does Sunny Deol play a Muslim character in Rajkumar Santoshi’s forthcoming Batwara 1947?

– Yes, he plays Sikandar Mirza. The film is based on the play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamyai Ni.   

On a rough estimate, by what percentage should stars reduce their prices, given that films are flopping one after the other?

– All those stars, who don’t command good initials on Friday, should reduce their remunerations by at least 25%-50% if they care for the film industry which has made them what they are. The stars whose films invariably pick up after shaky starts may reduce their prices by 15%-30%.    

What is the story behind the partnership between Dinesh Vijan and Luv Ranjan in this week’s Cocktail 2?

– The subject of COCKTAIL 2 was Luv Ranjan’s. Dinesh Vijan liked it and felt, it fitted the COCKTAIL franchise and hence offered to buy the same. Since Luv Ranjan doesn’t write for anybody except his own banner, he agreed to sell his script (co-written with Tarun Jain) and simultaneously co-produce the film. That’s how Luv and his partner, Ankur Garg, are joint producers with Dinesh Vijan.     

Week in and week out, the trade laments that films are not opening well and then not scoring at the box-office. Is there no solution to the problems?

– Of course, there is a solution: filmmakers should make better films! Easier said than done, did you say? But nothing comes easy, right?   

What kind of an initial do you predict Alpha to take on 3rd July?

– ALPHA cannot be expected to open big because it’s a female spy film. As you must be aware, female-centric films rarely command an initial.   

What did you think of the trailers of Dhamaal 4 and Welcome To The Jungle?

– Both the trailers, released this week, give the impression that the audience are in for fun rides. Both have a lot of actors in them, and both are films of successful franchises. So, one hopes that both the films do well at the box-office.    

Why are so many top producers like Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan getting into the space of micro dramas?

– Obviously, because they see a bright future for micro dramas.